Remembering 2013 - The year that went by ....

As the New Year parties die down gradually and usual schedules return, I thought it was a good idea to have farewell glance at the year that just went by. A year that had its own share of ups and downs, a year that gave loads of opportunities, a year that brought a better me out of it, a year that show new way of politics and a year that ended with more things to be happy about than regret. It was not long ago when on a similar day, I had a New Year resolution – one which was supposed to be soon broken but nevertheless – “to reconnect” - with old friends, with colleagues and with everyone else I should!! I am not sure of how long did it stay but it did have some positive impacts on my social life and has given me moments to cherish from 2013. This passing by year did give me a lot in my life and I guess witnessed me growing both personally and professionally.

Professionally, it was a year of advancement and as I moved up the hierarchy – (yep, avoiding the cliché word – Promoted), the new role came with new responsibilities and expectations. Becoming a senior consultant at Deloitte suddenly makes people start expecting you to deliver more, better and earlier. I am not sure how far I managed to make up to those expectations but appreciation on engagements does make me feel that it wasn’t a complete disaster after all. The role brought with itself opportunities to lead various teams and initiatives along with a chance to leave a stronger impact on various deliverables.

Well, there is much more happening on the personal front. I had moved to home as a result of which I ate – more and better. This year gave me one of my most prized possessions – a glistening grey Maruti Swift Dzire. Owning a car from my own money was something I had always dreamt and though it may not be fanciest of the wheels, it is something I am really proud of and would be for a long time to come. This year also gave me opportunities to reach out to old friends, colleagues and relatives – those I had lost contact with and reconnecting was a pleasure in itself. In the same spirit, I found myself travelling across the breadth of the country from Jaipur in the west, Allahabad in north, Patna in east and Morena in central part of India – all to be there with my friends in one of their most special moment – their marriages. All this in spite of personal sacrifice – handling the results of these visits giving rise to clamors within the family for a similar treat from my end. This year also witnessed me reviving my old blog with me sharing most of my travelling experiences, views on a number of general issues, informative articles and some (un)usual ramblings.

Any regrets from the year? Probably the occasions where I let myself loose and delve into the flow were much lesser than they used to be. There were fewer long drives culminating into day long excursions or 1400 km intercity travel and number of overnight parties came down drastically. Seems like moving home also comes with some restrictions and this is the cost for other pleasures of staying with the family, especially after years of freedom and nomadicity. Or more probable could also be rigors of the new responsibilities professionally with other things just a veil to hide my inability to do better.

Nevertheless, there is this New Year right ahead with new promises, opportunities, goals - for better work and more fun - and I fully intend to have the best out of it. Now for the mantra of coming year – “Be and Have Better – than before”. After bidding adieu to a great year passing by, I am looking forward to a greater one ahead. Here, wishing you all the reader of expressions by KT a very happy and prosperous New Year 2014. Keep reading and keep criticizing – that is what would make this blog a pleasure to read and write. Personally, though not a resolution, I am still looking to connect and reconnect - just drop in a mail to kt@expressions-kt.in

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